A wallplate or an escutcheon plate is typically mounted to a wall in order to frame a device that projects through a hole in the wall, such as a water spout for a bathtub or a shower, or the control knobs for controlling water flow through such spouts. The wallplate provides protection for the projecting device and also conceals the hole through which it projects. Wallplates are also used in a number of other applications, including ceiling and wall lights, outdoor light fixtures or meters. The shape or configuration of the wallplate is adapted to accommodate the application.
A wallplate has a peripheral rim that substantially contacts a wall when the wallplate is mounted thereto. The rim recedes in an arc from the wall and basically defines the thickness of the wallplate. A wallplate may also have a peripheral flange. In order to prevent moisture or other substances from getting behind the wallplate, or between the wallplate rim or flange and the wall, a seal must be provided around the inner periphery of the rim.
One method of forming this seal involves the application of a caulking compound between the rim and the wall after the wallplate has been mounted. However, it is often difficult to produce a uniformly consistent seal in this manner and labor costs are considered excessive.
Another method of forming the seal between the rim and the wall includes adhering a preformed, adhesively backed gasket to the backside surface of the wallplate prior to mounting to the wall. The gasket can be adhered either at the installation site or at the place of manufacture. Regardless, this method requires the keeping of a separate inventory of gaskets and wallplates, and the subsequent matching up and adhering of the gaskets to the wallplates prior to installation, all of which leads to an increase in the total cost of the final product.
It is an object of the invention to provide a simple method for forming a gasket to seal the connection between a wallplate rim and a wall.
It is another object of the invention to form a gasket seal between a mounted wallplate and a wall in a cost effective manner.